Christian's heart
by DoubleG85
Summary: What if the crack that Christian's mother had taken when he was a baby had damaged his heart, and he needs Ana to take over Grey Enterprises while he recovers. Working as acting CEO she discovers that some of the employees are not what they seem.
1. Chapter 1

For the most part Christian's family medical history was a mystery. It was well documented that he was born to a mother that have substance abuse problems. It was a miracle that Christian turned out to be so healthy, so many others in that situation are not so lucky. Christian and I had been married for 3 months and every part of our lives together seemed like a fairy tale. I cannot wait to come home to him. The sex is amazing but the companionship that we both enjoy is the real treat.

I woke up on a Tuesday morning, thinking about what my day was going to look like down at SIP. I sat up at the edge of the bed, looking over to Christian's side of the bed. The sheets were crinkled and thrown haphazardly, he always got up early for work. I wonder if he made coffee? I bounded down the stairs, a faint smell of coffee filling my nostrils. As I walked into the kitchen I noticed Christian's lifeless body on the floor. My hard started pounding so hard it felt like it was going to burst.

"CHRISTIAN!" I screamed shaking him.

No response, but he was breathing, very shallow. I grabbed my phone and called Taylor. Call 911 I yelled to him. I could hear the sound of Taylor talking to a 911 operator. I started CPR. I got on top of him and started chest compressions. I started to feel fatigued only a few minutes in but I forced myself to continue. I heard the sound of the ambulance coming. After that everything seemed like a blur. They took Christian on a stretcher to the hospital. I got into my car and followed the ambulance to the hospital. I quickly called into SIP to tell them I would not be there today. I hurried into the hospital to find that Christian had been taken directly into the ICU. I was ushered to a waiting room while the nurses and doctors stabilized him. What had caused this, he's so healthy? I kept asking myself questions over and over again. My stomach felt like it was tied in knots.

"Would you like a coffee Mrs. Grey?" Taylor asked

"I'm not Hungary" I said quietly trying to keep myself together

"Your quick actions may have saved Mr. Grey's life" commented Taylor.

"Thank you Taylor! I think I'll call Grace and Mia. They will definitely want to be here" I said

I dialed Grace first, she answered on the second ring.

"Hi Ana! How are things with you and Christian?" She asked pleasantly.

"I think Christian had a heart attack and we are in the hospital. He's in ICU" I blurted

"Oh my God!" She gasped "I'll be there as soon as I can"

I hung up and quickly dialed Mia's number and received a similar response. Both said that they were on their way over without hesitation.

Both Mia and Grace arrived before there was any word from the medical staff. We were all silent as we waited to hear about Christian's condition.

"Hi are you Christian's wife?" asked the nurse as she walked into the room

"Yes!" I said practically yelling

"Does he had a history of Cardiac problems?" She asked

I turned to Grace, who knew more about Christian's medical history than I did.

"Not that has been documented. However, his biological mother smoked crack" She replied

"His heart is weak; he has had a mild heart attack" She replied "Does he have a history of fainting?"

"Yes!" Grace answered "He didn't faint often but it has been known to happen. He never had it checked out because it wasn't very frequent and Christian didn't want to waste time and money on something so mild."

"You will be happy to know that he will be fine, there is no lasting damage due because he received medical attention right away but he needs to take it easy for a while"

"I'll be home with him to help him with anything that he needs." I volunteered

"Great! That's exactly what he needs" the nurse replied "Do you want to see him?"

"Of course!" I said jumping off my seat for the door.

I entered the room where Christian was, he was awake and sitting up. He smiled when he saw me. I gave him a big hug, it felt so good to feel his warmth again.

"I'm so glad you all are here" He said. Even in his hospital bed be seemed so in control.

"Christian! I'm so relieved that you're ok!" Mia cried "We were all so scared"

"I know! I don't want to worry everyone but I need to take some time to rest" He said "I need to have a moment with my wife!"

Mia and Grace left the room. He turned to me with sadness in his eyes.

"Have to take time off from running Grey Enterprises" He said "I don't want to push myself and make thing worse"

"I agree Christian! There is no need to push yourself" I agreed

"Ana! I need you to take over Grey Enterprises for me while I recover" He said

"I can't do that" I cried "I don't know the first thing about business or running a corporation"

"I will be there to teach you. There is no one that I trust more than you to do it" He pleaded

"Ok!" I answered with uncertainty "What should I do first?"


	2. Chapter 2

I could not believe what Christian was telling me. Run the company, He has other people for that, like Ros. What could I possibly have to contribute. He saw the worry spread across my face.

"Ana!" He sighed "Ros cannot just be left with running a billion-dollar company herself. That's too much for anyone. You are smart, loyal and honest, those are important qualities that I need. I need you to represent me and advocate for my desires"

"I don't know the first thing about business" I said worried

"I think this is the perfect opportunity to learn about what I do. Don't be worried. Lean on Ros. The company is large and to be honest I have people doing almost every job. Most of it you won't have to worry about. I mostly just approve decisions and projects"

"I see!" I said taking in all that he was telling me

"You will need to step away from SIP for a while, maybe your first job should be to hire your temporary replacement" Christian suggested

I stayed with Christian till the evening then went home to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a busy, stressful day and i wanted to feel fresh.

I had decided that I would take one more day off to spend with Christian at the hospital. I returned to work on Wednesday, I woke up early, performing my morning routine without thinking. I walked in to SIP wearing a red dress just over the knees, with black nylon and 2" black heels. Hannah greeted me as I walked to my office.

"No bodyguard today?" She asked sounding disappointed

"Not today" I responded "Can you get human resources to call me immediately?"

"Yes of course!" She said "Do you want a coffee? I'm on my way to get one myself"

"Yes! Thank you for asking" I said walking into my office.

I received a call from Human Resource's 15 min later. I gave the details of my temporary departure and requested a posting for my current position be made as soon as possible. I offered to perform my duties part time, so that I could concentrate on assisting Ros with running Grey Enterprises. I worked diligently at my desk trying to get ahead of my work at SIP, i wanted to make sure that i didn't leave a back log for the new hire. I had two short meeting with seasoned authors who were looking to publish new work at the end of the day. I was grateful when the day was over, so that i could spend my evening with Christian. Ros called my cell as i was leaving SIP.

"Ana! It's Ros COO of Grey Enterprises" Ros said very formally

"Yes!" I answered

"Can you meet tomorrow morning to discuss some business matters. Call it an introduction to your new position" She said

"Absolutely! What time should I be there?" I asked her

"8 am" She answered "Do you know where Christian's office is?"

"Yes! I've been there before" I replied.

"See you tomorrow Ana!" Ros said hanging up the phone

I was all too excited to see Christian at the hospital, Taylor picked me up at SIP and dropped me off at the hospital. I brought the nurses specialty chocolates and dropped them off at the front desk on my way to Christian's room. Christian perked up as I walked into the room. I gave him a big hug. "I missed you" I whispered in his ear as I sat beside him on the bed.

"I saw the doctor today" Started Christian "He still wants to run some more tests to make sure that we are not missing anything, but i'm recovering"

"Good!" I said playing with his hair "I want to make sure your healthy when I take you home"

"I hate hospitals Ana! Have I ever told you that?" He asked looking out the window

"No, I just assumed that you hated hospitals because most people hate hospitals" I said with a laugh

"They make me feel weak" He said dropping his smile

"You're not weak Christian!" I said with confidence "This just proves that the infamous Christian Grey is, in fact, Human"

"Ha! Ha!" He mocked "I hate being in this bed, I feel like I'm wasting away"

"Come on! Your being very dramatic" I responded rolling my eyes

"So, How was your day?" He asked changing the subject

"I have an appointment with Ros tomorrow to discuss business" I said "Is there anything you want me to mention to her?"

"Yes! I need an update on the Johnson deal and the software issue in accounting" He said quickly.

I left the hospital at 6 pm just as Mia and Grace were coming for a visit. I announced my departure and blew Christian a kiss from the door. I went down to the front of the building where Taylor was ready to pick me up and take me home.

"Do you want to stop anywhere along the way?" He asked

"No, I'm tired today. Please take me home" I replied

The house seemed so big and empty without Christian. I decided to call Kate, despite the late hour. I didn't want to disturb her but i really needed to chat with my best friend.

"How are you doing? I hear about Christian and his heart. Is he OK!" She asked sounding concerned "I heard that you performed CPR on him"

"Yes! It was scary though. I did it without thinking. I'm just so glad he's OK" I said "It's been so lonely around here lately"

"Do you want me to come over and keep you company?" She asked

"I do, but what about Elliot?" I asked trying not to interfere

"Elliot can will be OK if I'm not around for a few hours" She responded

"I'd love it if you came by, the last few day has been really hard" I said

"I'll be there in 30 min OK" She responded hanging up the phone.


	3. Chapter 3

Kate enveloped me in a hug as soon as I opened the door. She knew that I had been struggling with all the changes with Christian being in the hospital and with work. She was always so supportive. I knew that I could handle anything that came my way but I still wanted the comfort of my best friend.

"How are you" gushed Kate

"It's been hard but i'm working through it" I said honestly

"I can't even imagine how hard it has been. You guys are still newlyweds" Kate said shocked.

"I know, everything is happening so fast. I just hope i can do good by Christian" I said worried

"If i know anything about you Ana is that you are smart, and will figure all this out" Kate assured me

"You sure?" I said seeming unsure of myself.

"I'm positive" Kate said "I will be here as long as you need, but i know that you have a long day tomorrow, so just say the word and i'll let you go to bed"

Kate and I laughed, chatted and gossiped for several hours till it became quite late. I Thanked her for coming over and let her know that i appreciated her support. I talked over my fears and what i should do now that i would be taking over temporarily for Christian. I needed to talk to someone other than Christian about what i was feeling. Christian was so methodical in his thinking. He made running a billion dollar corporation look so easy. I knew that i had others to help me but i felt like i was under incredible pressure. I was very different than Christian and i knew that there would be some people that may not like having Christian's inexperienced wife running the show. I needed to learn everything there was to learn about Grey Enterprises. I called Ros and asked if i could have a day to go through how Grey Enterprises is run in each department.

"You want to learn how everything is run" Ros asked a bit confused

"Yes, i feel that if the head of each department took a day or so to take me through everything i would be better equipped to assist you and the board of directors in running things" I explained to her

"I understand that, but that will take longer than a few days, Ana" She said "There are alot of departments to go through"

"I'll start with the accounting department, looking over all the investments. I will visit every floor. I will start right after our meeting" I said

"Sounds like a good place to start" She agreed.

"I want to make sure that i make myself known and approachable to everyone" I said feeling confident in my decision.

Mrs. Jones made a steak with broccoli and cheese for dinner. The whole apartment felt empty and foreign without Christian's warm presence. I ate my dinner in silence then fell asleep watching Netflix in the living room. I didn't feel like sleeping in our bed without Christian.


	4. Chapter 4

I woke up to the sound of my alarm going off. i felt rested but i stiff as i sat up at the edge of the couch. I sauntered into the kitchen to grab a granola bar and make some coffee. I sent a text to Christian to let him know that i loved him and headed out to Grey Enterprises to make my first appearance as Christian's. Even though i was suppose to be in charge i felt nervous as hell. What would Christian's employees think of me? Would they be inviting or would they be resistive? Taylor drove me down to Grey Enterprises. Ros and I had already called ahead, so they knew i was coming. I decided that i would start in the accounting department in the morning then i would spend my afternoon in marketing. Going through each department and learning the ropes would take a good week. I even made time to see the fileroom. Every department is important when running a corporation after all. As soon as the elevator opened i saw a man across the room look up from where he was and walk over to me.

"Ana! My name is Gerald. I am the manager of the accounting department at Grey enterprises" The man said extending his hand

"Hi Gerald, i'm Ana. Christian Grey's wife. I will be stepping in for him while he is temporarily recovering from illness. I just wanted you to give me an overview of what your department does" I said with a formal tone.

"I feel a bit unprepared, Mrs. Grey, i didn't know that you were coming today" Gerald answered avoiding eye contact.

"Why i sent out emails with a time and date and what i was expecting. I was told that you received it" I said confused.

"Where would you like to start?" Gerald asked with his hands out.

"Why don't you take me through a day in the accounting department. Just so that i have a rough idea what i'm dealing with'" I said.

"Ok" He answered with a snarky undertone.

Gerald guided me to his office. Showing me some of the software that was used to keep track of revenues and expenses. I had a little understanding for how accounting worked. I took a class in accounting in my undergrad studies. I thought that Gerald's reaction to my presence very troubling. There should be no issues showing your boss what was going on in the office unless there was something to hide. I like to think that the people that Christian employs are trustworthy so i stayed silent while he showed me around. I found Gerald's explanations very simple. I wanted to make sure that i was making the best use of my time in the company. I needed Gerald to give me more details. I didn't like the fact that he was also being very condescending in his tone.

"Gerald, i hate to interrupt you but you seem to be very vague in your explanations. Can you give me more details on the expenses on page 6" I said staring intently at the computer.

"Oh!" Gerald said sounding very surprised "Which part?"

"You know what i changed my mind. Can i get you to print this off for me?" I asked

"Why, Mrs. Grey?" He said with reluctance "Christian never asks for this information. To save paper i can send it to you through email is that ok?"

"Can you print it off for me right now. I'm sure that Christian will not mind" I said with a sick sweetness in my voice.

"as you wish" He said grabbing the mouse and clicking the X in the corner of the screen.

"Why did you do that?" I asked angrily.

"I have a better version that includes all the miscellaneous expenses in more detail" He said moving the cursor to another folder

"Ok. I would like both then, so that i can compare" I said sitting back in the sliding office chair.

"OK" He said clicking print.

I was hoping that the printer was in another room so that i could look through his computer but he grabbed the 20 sheets off the printer and handed them to me.

"Is there anything else that you need" He asked.

"I think that i have wasted enough of your time for one day" I said trying to be civil.

"Come back anytime Ana, sorry that i didn't receive your email" Gerald said as i walked to the elevator "I'd be happy to give you more details with more notice"

I looked back to see Gerald go back into his office with another employee. As soon as he had his back turned to me i turned the corner and made my way down the hall. Part of me was not sure if this was going to work but i had to try. Gerald was really rubbing me the wrong way and my intuition is usually right. I turned into the bathroom, then pulled out my cell phone from my purse. I needed to call the only other person that had all the answers, Ros.

"Ros, it's me Ana" I said as soon as she picked up the phone.

"How's your visit to the accounting side of things?" She asked "Have you met with Gerald?"

"I have" I hesitated "What do you think of Gerald?"

"To be honest with you i usually manage things from a higher level and i don't know Gerald that well" Ros answered "Why what's wrong?"

"He was acting very strange towards me, is all" I said trying not to alert Ros "Is there any way that i can get some more information from HR on him?"

"Ana, your pretty much the CEO, you can do whatever you want right now" Ros laughed.

"Ok, can you contact HR and get his employment records for me" I said "Sure, i'll have it for you tomorrow morning"

"Thank you so much" I said to Ros.

I heard a few employees laughing and talking just outside the washroom. I quickly sneaked into a bathroom stall. I waited till the two employees finished. I casually walked out of one of the stalls, as they were both washing their hands and freshening up their make up.

"Hey!" i said washing my hands in the sink.

"Are you new?" Asked the tall blonde

"Yes, just started yesterday" I lied.

"How do you like it?" Asked the short, pudgy brunette.

"It's ok, i haven't been here long enough to judge i think" I answered puling out some make up

"It can get a bit political, if i have any advice for you just come in and do your job then go home. Don't get caught up in the drama" The blonde girl said looking up from the mirror.

"What do you mean?" I asked with deep curiosity "Is it about that Gerald guy"

"Gerald is stupid and lazy. He acts like he's had a head injury" The fat brunette pipped in "He forgets stuff and generally doesn't know what's going on most of the time. I have no idea why he's even here. The office certainly could run with out him"

"Gina is running this place, not Gerald. He just get's paid the big bucks. If you want to know anything. I would talk to Gina" The blonde said to me before putting her eyeliner away and walking out.

"Thanks guys" I said walking out of the bathroom, carful to make sure that Gerald wasn't around the corner. I made my way to the elevator. I looked towards Gerald's office for a split second, he was still talking to the same employee. I got on the elevator then left the building. I knew that i had to investigate first before i told Christian. Christian must have hired him for a reason.


	5. Chapter 5

Ros was prompt as always, I found Gerald's employment records on my desk first thing. There were a few things that i was curious about. . I cracked open the file to find that despite Gerald being a lazy, uninformed idiot he looked good on paper. He was definitely qualified. He had an accounting degree from Berkeley. He had worked for a large hotel chain doing book keeping just after graduating, then shortly after he got the job at Grey Enterprises. The only thing that stood out was that there was a 6 month employment gap in his work history, before he was hired at Grey Enterprises. There was nothing that in the chart that indicated what he was doing in the meantime. I felt like i was on a mission to find out what it was about Gerald that spiked my intuition and rubbed me the wrong way. I push it to the back of my mind because i had made arrangements to go through all of the departments in Grey Enterprises and today i was set to go through the marketing department. I put Gerald's employment records in Christian's desk under some papers so that no one would see it or suspect anything. I made my way to the Marketing Department. Just like Gerald, The manager of marketing had received an email and replied to it so i was hoping for a warmer response. I got off the elevator on the 8th floor and i was soon greeted by a man, named Jacob. He had a fit physique and a 5'clock shadow, he wore dress shirt and jeans. As soon as he saw me his features softened.

"You must be Mrs. Grey" He said extending his hand.

"I am" I said giving him a hand shake "You are Jacob, manager of marketing"

"I am" He replied "You were curious about what we do here and how we do it. Am i right?"

"Yes. Mr. Grey is recovering from illness and for the time being i will be taking his place" I said with confidence.

"Anything that you need, i'm here to help" Jacob answered.

"I appreciate your co-operation" I replied.

Jacob guided me to his office where he started explaining the procedures and protocols of the marketing department. He was very informed. He had a great personality and seemed to be a born leader. I could tell as he guided me through the department that he was fair and well liked. Several employees approached him with concerns that he was quickly able to solve. I was not sure if Christian hired the supervisors personally but he made a right choice with Jacob. He stopped to explain things to me and answering all my questions in a clear, concise manner. He did not talk down to me like Gerald did. His office was neat and tidy. I made sure that as we talked that i kept all my concerns about Gerald to myself. That was a project that i was going to research in my own time. I knew that Jacob knew Gerald but I didn't want to make my suspicions public. I wanted to focus on learning about the integral working of Christian's conglomerate.

"Has Mr. Grey given you an overview of what we do here?" Jacob asked guiding me back towards his office.

"Not really. Just pretend that i know nothing. I'll let you know if i have any question but to be honest. I just plan to watch and learn" I explained.

"Fair enough" Jacob replied

We went back to his office, where he explained what his role was in the department. He went through the software that they used. He guided me through Grey Enterprises social media platform and other forms of advertising that they used.

"How often does Christian usually check in with you" I asked out of curiosity

"Almost never" Jacob replied "He's quite busy most of the time. As long as Grey Enterprise maintains a marketing footprint i don't think that he has a reason too"

"Oh i see" I replied

"I was surprised to receive an email from you asking me about a tour because Mr. Grey usually doesn't bother. I am not oppose to it though, just surprised" Jacob explained.

"I'm definitely different from Mr. Grey. He knows this company inside out and probably doesn't feel the need to come down here. Especially since you seem to run things so well" I assured him "Thank you for all the info"

"Your welcome, Mrs. Grey" Jacob answered standing up and shaking my hand "if you need anything at all just let me know. Running a large company is not easy task"

"I agree. Thank you" I answered getting up from my chair and walking to the door.

The day went by quickly. i spent a full 8 hours shadowing Jacob and learning about the complex world of advertising. He had a way of making the info interesting. I Thanked Jacob for the crash course on marketing, before going to Christian's office for Gerald's file, so that i could read in peace without prying eyes. My day at Grey Enterprises seemed very productive, I felt as though i had learned so much about the marketing side of the company. Learning about the company that my husband was the CEO of one an important part of being his wife. Christian had a great team and a brilliant strategy. There was a reason that Christian was where he was and i knew that it was not by accident.

At the end of the this intense day all i wanted to do was lay next to my beloved husband. I wished with all my heart that i could heal all his wounds. He needed me. He was vulnerable at this moment and i wanted to make him whole. My presence seemed to speed up his healing and bring a light to his world. I decided to pick up some pastries from the local bakery before stopping by the hospital for the nurses. Nursing was a difficult job, one that i surely could not do myself. I appreciated all the care that they gave to my beloved husband. I wanted him home happy and healthy. I walked into the hospital, greeting each of Christian's nurses by name. I spent so much time in the hospital that i had grown to know each of them on an individual level.

"Can i leave these here" I asked the unit clerk as i pointed to the counter.

"Oh yes, your a Godsend" She answered looking at the pastries.

"Just another thank you treat for taking such good care of my beloved husband. You don't know how grateful i am" I gushed

"He's waiting for you down the hallway. He's doing much better than yesterday. He's been asking about you all day" one of the nurses offered

I clacked down the hallway in my heels , my loose skirt swaying side to side as i walked. As soon as i entered the room Christian sat up in bed.

"Ana" He exclaimed looking on the verge of tears "I'm so glad your here"

"I've could wait to come,i've been thinking of you all day" I answered taking my jacket off and sitting on the hospital bed.

"How was your second day at Grey Enterprises. Are all my employees treating you well" Christian asked.

"I would say that they were very hospitable. You hired some good one" I said lightening the mood.

"Which department were you in today?" Christian asked

"Marketing" I answered

"Jacob. He's one of the best manager's that i have" Christian assured me "Your in good hands"

"I felt that way" I agreed.

"Are they letting you out of bed these days?" I asked trying to change the subject

"There is a garden that i like to sit in. I can show you if you like" Christian said standing up.

"Yes, show me" I said smiling .

On the outside Christian seemed fine. I had not had a chance to check in with the nurses to find out why he had not been discharged yet. It seemed as though this was the first time in a while that Christian has allowed himself to relax. He needed it. We walked through the healing garden that many patients came to relax. Christian clearly loved it there. I wanted his to focus on his healing and i wanted him to have the confidence that i could take care of things while he took time for himself. After a short walk around the grounds, we went back to his hospital room. I spent some time talking about my day. I knew that he needed a normal conversation to take his mind off of his current situation. As soon as Mia and Grace walked in i said goodbye to Christian. I needed to get some sleep. I knew that i would not be able to run the company without rest.

.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ana POV**

Christian was successful for a reason,but in a company as large as Grey Enterprises it would be easy for him to lose sight of little incidentals. Sometimes a fresh perspective was needed. I was hoping that I would have the chance to bring that fresh perspective to Grey Enterprises. I wanted to make Christian proud, but I also wanted to keep the company running smoothly at the same time. There was a crushing pressure that I created on myself to be exceptional in my new role. Despite only being in this role for a few weeks I found the job to be stressful at the best of times. Up until this point I had no idea what Christian was dealing with on a day-to-day-basis. My perspective was changing to an overwhelming appreciation for my husband's incredible abilities and I wanted him to see that.

The drive home was always so heart breaking I wanted to bring Christian home. There was a temptation to ask the hired help to stay and have dinner with me but I knew that would be unfair. I made myself a tuna sandwich and a cup of milk for dinner with the groceries that Mrs. Jones had left in the fridge. Flopping my body on the couch for a wind down in front of Netflix. I could not escape the exhaustion that was taking over me once I had finally relaxed, I knew that if i stayed here I would fall asleep on the couch in a terribly contorted position. I changed and did my night routine, then crawled into bed. Somehow the bed still seemed so cold. Even after a few weeks ! still felt like there was an emptiness every time i went to bed. I struggled to fall asleep. I wanted the comfort of my husband beside me. It was not uncommon for me to day dream of his physical presence this evening being one of those times. I pictured a sexually charged scenario with the intention of taking care of my own sexual needs.

I laid back in the bed allowing myself to relax in the comforts of the silk sheets. I found myself in almost a dream-like state reminiscing of our sexually charged honeymoon not more than 6 months ago when we could not keep our hands off each other or our clothes on. Christian's body was like a perfectly sculpted statue. I pictured his strong hands moving rhythmically over the soft skin of my torso stopping at my average sized breasts. He pressed my nipple between his index and forefinger massaging it roughly. They were perky and hard under the command of his strong hands. I inched my finger tips toward my pleasure center slowly massaging the area of need. I felt my heart quicken as my lower half responded with much needed relief. I moaned as I painted a picture of Christian moving his hands from my nipples to my groin preparing to penetrate me. I slowly moved my fingers in a back and forth motion over my clitoris. My vagina became wet with anticipation and need. I felt alive under the ripples of pleasure that I was creating between my finger tips. I cried out in ecstasy as my body hit the peak of orgasm. The orgasm was powerful in the way it moved through me leaving me with a sense of calm. The hormones that were pumping

I felt tears rolling down my cheeks as I realized that he was not here and it was all just a dream. Our current situation flooded back into my mind. I was trying to be strong but i still needed him. I worried that our lives would be cut short if his heart gave out. How could this have been missed all his life? With the wealth that his family possessed I would have thought he would have had the best care from the very beginning. He didn't deserve this. We didn't deserve this. I went into the medicine cabinet to get a sleeping pill. I needed a full night's sleep.

* * *

Christian had a branch at Grey Enterprises that was in charge of acquiring company's and managing investments. This department to my surprise was run by a woman. With the exception of Ros, most of Christian's managers and supervisors were male. I hadn't really thought of it till now but I was excited to meet her. I wonder what made her different. I assumed that she had top notch qualification, or else Christian would not have hired her. I walked off the elevator and made by way to the office that read "Manager". She made eye contact with me as I got close to the office, I saw her shuffle some papers into a desk draw then walk out to greet me.

"You must be Mrs. Grey." She said extending her hand.

"I am! You must be Jacqueline"I responded "I don't see many woman in high profile positions at Grey Enterprises." I commented.

"It's not easy sitting at the round table with all men. I totally agree" She nodded.

"Walk me through everything. Pretend I don't know the first thing about Grey Enterprises." I said smiling trying to appear down-to-earth.

"I would be happy to" She said directing me towards her computer screen.

"What kind of background do you have?" I asked

"I have a master's in Economics from Yale," She responded proudly " I started as an investment advisor at Grey Enterprises. I worked hard for 5 years. Shortly after i applied for the job as manager of investments and got it."

"Very impressive" I replied.

"How is Mr. Grey doing? I heard that he was in the hospital?" Jacqueline asked.

"He's going to make a full recovery it will just take time" I said "I will keep everyone posted by email to make sure that nothing weird goes around the rumor mill"

"Good plan!" She agreed.

I found that out of all the managers I had met so far Jacqueline was by far my favorite. She was sweet, down-to-earth and intelligent. Up until a month ago I had no idea that there even was a department that's sole purpose was to invest in other companies, purchase new inventions and ideas as well as form partnerships with like-minded individuals. I found the inner workings of Grey Enterprises to be fascinating.

Christian had spoken very little about his business dealings with me. The topic rarely came up in conversation and I never thought to ask. I found that despite having a strong love for romantic literature I had a propensity towards business as well. Maybe when Christian recovered I could continue helping him with Grey Enterprises. I would love to be more of a partner instead of just "The Wife" of Christian Grey. I felt as though I was under immense pressure to prove my ability to run the company to Christian. "It was nothing" he had said just a persistent thought that plagued my mind.

"Let me show you the next part of the investment department as she took me down the hall for a tour of the floor. This is where the team looks for innovative inventions and ideas. There is no shortage of small time businesses or individuals that come up with some amazing ideas or inventions. Grey Enterprises looks to take those ideas or inventions and connect them so that they can be used commercially." Jacqueline explained

"Wow That is a really good idea. I didn't know we did all that. "I replied.

"It's good that you are making an effort to learn the business. I would do the same thing if I was in your situation." She empathized

"I was kind of pushed into this." I admitted

"Well I would want to know all of my husband's business dealings is all. A man with such power has the capacity to get himself in a lot of trouble especially without close supervision." She explained.

"If I didn't trust him I don't think our relationship would be as strong as it is." I replied.

"Men can very rarely be trusted." She winked

"Depends on the man I think." I stated "Because not all women can be trusted either."

"You have me there I suppose." She chuckled

Her tone was friendly but I detected a vague warning from her words. She could sense the tension as I didn't hold the same opinion and almost as though she was a perfectly groomed robot she changed the subject and her demeanour quickly followed.

With the exception of her opinions and judgements she appeared knowledgable and strict in her area of expertise. The Investment department seemed to be more organized and efficient than the other departments that I had seen. The files were in Chronological order. Jacqueline was very thorough, her explanations were detailed and easy to understand. She offered print outs of recent transactions and encouraged me to do my homework. I learned more about Grey Enterprises from spending the day with her than I had with anyone else.

 **Author's note**

I am really sorry that this took so long to write. I didn't know where I was going with story till recently. Please enjoy!


	7. Chapter 7

I had to know more about the people that Christian had hired to run his company. With Christian still in recovery mode I decided to confide in Ros. I didn't want to give everything away but if anyone knew anything I knew it was her.

"Ros," I started "I have some weird questions to ask you"

"Whatever you need help with Ana i'm here." She answered

"Is there a way that I could get background files on employees?" I asked

There was a slight hesitation on the phone. I could tell that she was giving great thought to how she was going to word her response. "What kind of background info, Ana?" Ros asked

"when they started, background education, previous employment and any encounters with HR?" I stated in one strong breath

"That's pretty standard information, All you need to do is go down to human resources. You are the acting CEO of the company. There isn't a lot that is out of your reach." Ros replied.

I may be acting CEO but I knew that no one would take kindly to someone poking around the office in search of personal information on other employees. I couldn't risk my suspicions getting around the company. Everything needed to stay quiet until I had concrete evidence that there was something happening. If I was just paranoid I would be happy to drop it and move on but If my intuition was correct something was going on behind the scenes and my visits were anything but welcome.

Ros was more than hospitable and kind to all my requests. She was busy enough that she barely questioned my motives.

Gerald was the one I decided to start with first. I wanted to know more about his employment at the hotel. He was there for only 6 months. His pay was great with benefits but he left before he had a chance to get a feel for the job. That was no easy job to get either especially in this struggling economy. I needed to contact the hotel for more information. The only issue was that I would get only generic cookie cutter information that is given to all prospective employers. I had to put my detective hat on. Christian Grey was a recognizable public figure, but despite being his wife I had managed to keep myself out of the limelight. I could poke around and ask questions to employees a without being recognized. How would I do that?

I couldn't exactly walk in to the front desk and start demanding information on Gerald. I would be quoted the confidentiality agreement and shown the door. I could do the mission impossible things and break-in to the file room to see if I could get his file but that wouldn't tell me what kind of person he was only if he was fired and if so what for. I needed to get on the inside. I worked for Seattle International Publishing I could walk in as a writer looking to do a story. Very plausible. I may not be allowed to get his personal file but I could find out everything that's written in it just by asking employees that worked closely with Gerald.

My body practically jumped out of my swiveling office chair at the stark revelation. I pulled up the phone number to the front desk. I couldn't just show up out of the blue and demand interviews with employees. I needed to clear it with management first.

"Hilton Hotels Andrea speaking." Answered the girl at the front desk.

"My name is Jill and I'm doing a story on Gerald Mckinnon I was wondering if I could come by to interview employees that worked with him." I asked

There was a long pause on the other end. "He hasn't worked here in a long time, I'm not sure what kind of information you are hoping to obtain." She answered

I could tell that she was unsure about my request. "I just want to interview a few employees that used to work with him. It's a story that showcases all his accomplishment." I explained. I hoped my explanation would be enough to get her approval.

"His accomplishment?" She asked confused "What accomplishment? He a scumbag."

"Scumbag?" I asked "Could you elaborate on that?"

"His parents bought his way through Berkley and his respect for woman is almost non-existent. I'm just surprised that anyone would want to do a story on him." She replied.

I could tell that she had strong feelings towards Gerald. "Could I interview you? I was not aware of his past. I'm not sure why SIP wants to do a story on him to be honest." I asked

"Will it take long?" She asked, clearly unsure of what she was getting into.

"It won't take long and I can come by when you are not so busy too if that helps." I offered.

"Ok! I'm off at 10 pm I can talk to you at that time, but I'm gonna warn you right now I don't have many good things to say." She warned.

"I want the good and the bad. I can't write a good story otherwise right?" I said

"Right." She agreed.

I couldn't wait.


	8. Chapter 8

I could not wait to hear what she had to say. For the sake of proof and to look believable I decided to bring a recorded for the conversation. I had the feeling that she was going to spill some nasty information. It was almost impossible top wait. My heart raced as my anxiety grew. I went over and over in my head what I would say to her when I arrived. I wanted my speech to be smooth and coherent, stuttering and fidgeting would only raise suspicion.

I walked into the hotel 15 min earlier so that I had time to take in my surrounding and find the girl that I had spoken to on the phone earlier. I approached the front desk where a short girl with a an average frame and blonde hair stood. She was wearing a white button up shirt that read "Hilton" and dark slacks secured with a black belt. Her make up was well done with vibrant red lipstick that seemed to bring out her feature. The shiny, golden name tag that read "Andrea" gave away her identity before the words had a chance to escape my mouth.

"Andrea?" I asked "My name is Jill we spoke on the phone earlier about Gerald."

She looked around making sure that there were no more customers that needed assistance in the lobby. My presence seemed to make her nervous somehow. "I have time now but if someone comes by I will have to take care of them as I'm the only one at the desk at this time." She warned

"That's fine, I'm sure that this will not take long." I replied

"Why are you doing a piece on Gerald? He's not famous and I can't think of anything of note that he has accomplished." She asked

"We are going a non-fiction book about Grey Enterprises. Gerald is a huge part of the success behind Grey Enterprises. So I'm looking to get a better understand of who he is as a person and employee." I lied

I could feel myself trying to hide my nervous embellishment. I made a plausible argument for my interview and I was hoping that she wouldn't question it. I still held my name tag for SIP just to in case she asked for identification. She tensed up as soon as I had made myself known. She looked around as though trying to make sure that there were no other eyes watching us as she drummed up the courage to spill her guts. I needed to make her as comfortable as possible. The more at ease she felt the more information I would get. I wanted the type of intel that was off the record. Andrea's reaction to my presence told me that she knew a lot more than she was letting on.

"I see," She sighed "What do you want to know?"

"Would you feel better if we spoke in private?" I asked widening my smile to seem more inviting.

"Yeah. Good Idea!" She agreed.

I followed her to a small 20's style red couch located in the far right corner of the lobby. Andrea sweeped her eyes across the empty lobby making sure that no one was in ear shot of the conversation that we were about to have.

"I'm not sure if I should be telling you this." She started

"Everything you say here is strictly confidential. You are a source and nothing more." I explained.

She breathed a deep sigh before starting "He started working here a few years ago as a manager of front end operations. His resume was almost perfect. We all thought that he was going to keep this hotel running smoothly but then..."

Her voice trailed off as she searched for the words to describe the situation. Her face scrunched in pain as she struggled to relive the memory. She choked back a few tears, her cheeks became red and hot. She drew attention back to her breathing which had started to quicken to the point of Hyperventilation.

"Did something bad happen?" I asked feeling her pain. I had always been an empathetic person. Her pain was great and I could feel myself breaking down myself.

"He was always a bit of a womanizer and a charismatic one at that. He was slightly older than most of us girls but still quite handsome. He quickly started to date my best friend Nancy." Andrea said slowly as she chocked back tears.

"Is Nancy ok?" I asked afraid of the answer I would soon get.

"She disappeared." Andrea cried "They dated steady and he seemed to make her happy. Then she stopped coming to work one day. I tried calling but her phone went to voicemail each time I did. Everyone was questioned but no one could figure out where she was. Gerald was the last person to see her alive. After that I felt sick every time I looked at him. "

"Did money go missing while he was managing the front desk?" I asked.

"No, at least not that I was aware of anyway." She answered, looking down at the ground between her feet.

"Do you know why he quit?" I asked. It had been on my mind since I had started looking through his file at Grey Enterprises.

"I think he quit because deep down we all knew he had something to do with her disappearance and he couldn't stand looking us all in the eyes when he came to work every day." She said while clenching her teeth.

"Did he appear angry or upset after Nancy disappeared?" I inquired

"If he was upset I couldn't see it. He mostly kept to himself after that. He spoke casually to some of the girls but no one wanted to be involved with him in case they were next." Andrea replied.

"Was Nancy's body ever found?" I asked

"No!," Andrea stated confidently "We are a tight knit group here. Any piece of new information about Nancy we shared with each other. I think it helped us cope with the loss."

"I can't even imagine how you must feel." I empathized "I'm so sorry for your loss."

"If your looking for someone to say positive things about Gerald I think you came to the wrong place. I never liked the guy. He always gave me the creeps." Andrea said

"I need the good, the bad and the ugly. There is more to someone than just their accomplishments." I stated.

"Well I hope that helps your book but I doubt it." She answered

The revolving door made a soft muffled sweeping sound as a customer pushed through the door and walked across the lobby to the front desk.

"Thank you for talking to me Andrea." I waved.

I couldn't wait to get out of the building and into the cold streets of Seattle. Andrea's story had hit my soul. I needed to know what happened to Nancy. I was a stubborn inquisitive type. Something that Christian had always loved about me. I wasn't going to stop till I knew the truth, no matter how deep I had to dig.

RING! RING!

I pulled my phone out of my purse to see who would call me at such a late hour.

CHRISTIAN

I almost jumped out of my shoes I was so excited. Without an ounce of hesitation I answered the call.

"Guess who's getting discharged tomorrow?" He asked excitedly.

"Your coming home?" I cried, replacing my sorrow with glee as I revelled in Christian's joy.

"Tomorrow right after the doctor sees me at 0900AM." He stated triumphantly.

"I can't wait." I exclaimed.

"I've missed sleeping next to you more than anything." Christian sighed

"The bed has been so cold without you, I need you next to me." I agreed.

"See you tomorrow." I said

"See you tomorrow." He echoed.

Finally my prayed had been answered.


	9. Chapter 9

I could barely sleep with the adrenaline running through my veins. So much had happened since Christian entered the hospital. I wanted to keep the focus on his recovery and not on my investigation. His health was still my primary focus. I could barely keep my excitement to myself. I called Ro and Kate in celebratory glee. The thought that normalcy would return to our lives was something that gave me great comfort. However, my conversation with Andrea was still in the back of mind in a troubling way. Did Gerald have anything to do with that girl's disappearance? I didn't like to cast unfair judgement but even if he didn't do it I was sure that he knew more than he was willing to admit. Bothering Christian with my suspicions would only upset him and until I had something more substantial and concrete I wanted to keep my ongoing investigation to myself. It would only look like I was attacking his staff rather than running the company anyway.

I picked up Christian just before the nurses gave him his discharge paperwork. The smell of disinfectant filled the air. I pushed the two double doors of the unit open and found Christian waiting by the front desk. He had on the same blue t-shirt and jeans that he was wearing when he first arrived. A smile spread across his as soon as he saw me standing in the front entry way. I had waited for what seems like forever to take my husband home.

"Ana!" His smooth loving voice sang like music to my ear

"Christian!" I responded on the verge tears.

"We need to celebrate." Christian chimed in. He was a man that was used to being busy and sitting in a hospital bed for the last month was surely driving him stir crazy.

"What did you have in mind?" I asked with a wink.

"Dinner at my favorite restaurant." Christian answered. Just the thought of a good meal was enough seemed to get his blood pumping "I've been eating hospital food for too long."

"Name the place and we're there," I stated with confidence.

"Where's Taylor?" Christian asked as I picked up his two hospital bags.

"He's downstairs waiting to drive us home." I replied.

"How's Grey Enterprises?" He asked "You haven't mentioned anything about running the company. I thought that you would have at least some issues. I called Ros and she says that you only called a few times to request information and that was it."

I knew that this subject would come up, but I hadn't practice my response. I started biting my lower lip and fidgeting with my fingers while avoiding eye contact. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried I couldn't hide my nerves. "It's well run and all I had to do was go through each department and offer assistance when needed. Ros helped me out a few times but I found it to be an amazing learning experience." I explained

"Care to share it with me?" Christian smiled, beaming with curiosity.

"Ugh," I started "I met some of your top managers for the different departments."

"And?" Christian asked with genuine curiosity for my professional opinion

"And I learned alot from the experience." I replied as vaguely as possible.

"Can you be more specific?' Christian asked.

Damn him for being so brilliant and knowing the exact questions to ask. I wasn't much of a liar especially around my husband. He knew me better than anyone. I could tell from his piercing eyes and stern expression that he knew that there was more to the story than I was letting on.

"Should I asked Ros?" He pushed

"I spent most of the time meeting managers and learning about the company. There weren't any board meeting so I had spent most of the time with the workers on the floor. I'm not sure if I accomplished all that you had envisioned." I stammered

"Don't be nervous, I'm just asking," He smiled in his usual calm polite tone.

"The hard part was starting the business Ana. To be honest most of it runs like a well oiled machine. I have enough advisors and staff that I can delegate tasked that I don't want to do. I'm sure that if there was a big catastrophe that you or Ros would have called. Let's go home." He announced walking past me to the two double doors to the unit.

"Makes sense," I agreed

Christian never ceased to amaze me. He walked out of the front doors to the Seattle General to see Taylor standing in front of a black Mercedes. Christian gave Taylor a firm handshake then as though they had a unwritten bro-code that I was not privy to Christian wrapped his arms around Taylor in a strong embrace.

"Good to see you sir!" Taylor said nearly bring Christian to tears.

Their reaction to seeing each other for the first time in a month spoke volumes of their close relationship. Christian was a private man of few friends, however over the years Taylor had won his trust through his devotion and integrity.

"Hospital food is every bit as terrible as everyone has told me." Christian stated with certainty

I laughed "What do you have in mind?"

"I need a good burger," He answered.

"I know just what you mean." I replied.

"After you Sir!" Taylor said opening the front door for Christian.

My focus for now was getting Christian comfortable at home. His health and recovery were of high importance but there was no way I was going to let Gerald's missing girlfriend go.

This was something that I needed to get to the bottom of.


End file.
